Todd Churchill with his 23-month-old son Carter who has been diagnosed from cerebral palsy and acute hearing impairment (reasonfortherink.com)

Little did Todd Churchill know when he had an idea for a small backyard skating rink last summer with ad slots for his favourite charities just how big a success it would eventually become.

Todd and his wife Kimberly, the proud parents of two boys, live in Portugal Cove-St. Philip, just outside of St, John’s, Newfoundland. Their younger son, 23-month-old Carter, has battled health issues since birth, and has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and acute hearing impairment.

Following the diagnosis, Todd and his wife became involved with fundraising for local organizations, including Easter Seals NL, Rainbow Riders and the Mazol Shriners — the charities whose support and resources have become invaluable to the family. He tells NTV’s Pam Parsons they also focused on Canadian Hard of Hearing Association.

"As any parent will tell you, It's a very helpless feeling," he said. "You want to do something and this is what my wife and I have decided to do, to throw ourselves into charities associated with his conditions."

And then, it got personal. Todd had previously built a smaller skating rink for recreational purposes, and he thought it was time to make the dream a little larger, complete with advertising space with all revenue heading to the charities. Kimberly also got on board with Carter's Cupcakes, a baked goods company that donates 25 per cent of all proceeds to local children's charities.

With so many people requesting funds for charity, Todd not only wanted to “get donations but also give the company some enticement in terms of advertising.”

Todd designed and built the 95’ x 46’ outdoor ice hockey rink last fall on his 1-1/4 acre lot for use this winter. What started as $200 donations for ads on a board quickly turned into a request for spots for in-ice logos. The Churchills' initial goal of $8,000 has already been surpassed, and to date, they have raised nearly $26,000.